Wfuv's Cityscape

A lot of songs have been written over the years about work. From Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 to The Who’s The Dirty Jobs to Rose Royce’s Car Wash. Veteran Bronx defense attorney Elliott Shapiro writes songs about work. In fact, he’s penned a number of tunes that reflect his more than 40-year-legal career. He joined Cityscape Host George Bodarky in WFUV’s very own Studio A to perform some of his songs and talk about life in the courthouse.

If you want to transport yourself to a place much more exotic or mysterious than New York City, you can most certainly achieve that goal through an expensive vacation. But, another way to immerse yourself in a foreign land is through a good book. From the state of independent booksellers to a Manhattan hotel with a library theme, this week's Cityscape is all about books.

In today's economic climate, knowing how to manage money effectively and make well-informed financial decisions is critical for everyone. As part of WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign on financial literacy, this week's show is all about money matters.

Autumn officially arrives this week, and that means the days will grow shorter and shorter until the winter solstice on December 22nd. But, an early nightfall has its bright sides, including more time to spot owls in the city. On this week's Cityscape, we'll go owl watching in Central Park, as well as get some tips on taking nighttime photos.

When it comes to murky waters, it doesn’t get much murkier than Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. In fact, the waterway was once dubbed “Lavender Lake” for its purplish chemical hue. The Environmental Protection Agency designated the 1-point-8 mile canal a Superfund site in March 2010. On this week's Cityscape, we're learning all about the Gowanus.

September 11th, 2001 is a date that will forever weigh heavily on the minds of Americans. On this week's Cityscape, we're reflecting on the events of ten years ago with a museum curator, a journalist and artists, including singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield, who penned a song about the forever changed Manhattan skyline.

New York City is known for a lot of things – its skyscrapers, its frenetic energy, and let’s not forget -- its accent. It’s not New York…it’s New Yawk. It’s not coffee…it’s cawfee. And for some people… it’s not 33rd and 3rd...it's Toidy Toid and Toid. That’s a more classic pronunciation that you’re probably less likely to hear on the streets today. In fact, some say New York’s accent is disappearing as the city becomes more gentrified. On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the NYC accent.

Great inventors of the past have influenced the world we live in today. Thomas Edison gave us the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio – we’re especially thankful for that one. And let’s not forget Brooklyn born inventor George Lerner for his famous American Toy, Mr. Potatohead. Today, the Big Apple is home to the creators of many interesting inventions, from a solar powered, MP3 charging bikini to a hoodie that takes photos when your heart rate increases. This week, we’re talking with modern day inventors based in New York City.

Greenwich Village, also referred to as just “The Village,” is a largely residential part of Manhattan, and was once known as a Mecca for artists and writers like Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac. Though surges in rent have sent many starving artists to other neighborhoods, bohemian culture continues to pervade the coffee shops, bars and bookstores of this historic district. On this week's Citsycape, we're immersing ourselves in the "culture" of Greenwich Village.

On this week's Cityscape, we're exploring the "People's Palace" -- the New York Public Library's main branch on 5th Avenue. We'll delve into the architecture and decoration of the building, and look into other aspects of the 100-year-old institution.

If you live in an old house, chances are many, many people walked the same floors and slept in the same rooms over the years. But, have you ever wondered who they were, what their lives were like? On this week’s Cityscape, a Manhattan resident shares her story of uncovering the long history of her Lower East Side rowhouse, after finding out it was in jeopardy of collapse. Katharine Greider's new book is called The Archaeology of Home: An Epic Set on a Thousand Square Feet of the Lower East Side.

Neighborhood parks are the focal point of many communities.  Kids frolic in playgrounds, people read on shaded benches, or simply meet and converse with their neighbors.  As part of WFUV's Strike a Chord campaign, we're focusing our attention on neighborhood parks, including the people who help keep them vibrant. 

In New York, like in many American cities, mom-and-pop shops are slowly disappearing. Owners who can no longer afford their rent abruptly fold, retire with no one in the family interested in taking over the business, or simply decide it’s not worth competing against the big box store that opened up down the street. On this week’s Cityscape, the disappearing face of New York. We’ll talk with a husband and wife photography team who’ve made it their mission to document generations-old storefronts before the shops vanish forever. We’ll also pay a visit to some New York City establishments that have somehow managed to buck the trend and stand the test of time. Like JJ Hat Center in Manhattan, billed as the oldest hat shop in all of New York City.

The term addiction often conjures up images of people struggling to kick bad habits with alcohol or drugs, but people can get addicted to all kinds of things. On this week's Cityscape, we’re taking a closer look at addiction, from people who literally can’t get enough of video games to a Manhattan woman who says she’s addicted to ventriloquism.

Between work, chores and everything in between, it can be hard to find time to relax. But, experts say it’s vital to balance work and play, and some say there’s no better way to decompress than to engage in a hobby. On this week's Cityscape, we’re getting our “hobby-on,” from Lego building to model boat sailing. We'll also pay a visit to an old-school hobby shop in Astoria, Queens.

If you somehow missed the ads for flowers, jewelry or brunch specials -- Sunday is Mother’s Day. On this week's Cityscape, we're celebrating motherhood with several mom-related segments, including an interview with a Manhattan woman who became a single mom by choice.

Domestic violence knows no boundaries. It can happen to anyone – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, orientation or socio-economic status. On this week's Cityscape, we're shining a light on the dark subject of domestic violence, including domestic abuse in the Muslim and LGBT communities.

It’ll be all Greek to New York Sunday (3/27/11), as the annual Greek Independence Day Parade makes its way through Manhattan’s 5th Avenue.  This year’s event celebrates the 190th anniversary of Greek independence from Turkish rule.   The parade’s a city tradition, dating back to 1938.  It found a home on 5th Avenue in 1951. On this edition of Cityscape, we’re exploring all things Greek, from ancient literature to the cuisine.

We all face a new set of challenges as we get older.  All this month, WFUV has been highlighting organizations that work to assist older adults as part of our Strike a Chord campaign.  We’ve also been delving into many of the issues that impact seniors.  This week on Cityscape, we’ll be continuing that exploration, including a look into the lives of grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren and LGBT seniors.

March 25th marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in downtown Manhattan.  The tragedy led to changes in workplace labor and fire safety laws.  On this week's Cityscape, we’re looking back on this pivotal piece of New York City and American history.